New Refrigerated Rail Service Connects Midwest, West Coast

(PRNewswire) Ridge Development has launched the TransCold Express, a hub-to-hub refrigerated boxcar service operated by McKay TransCold that runs bi-directionally between Wilmington, Illinois, and Selma, California. The first refrigerated boxcar unit train connecting the Midwest and West Coast in over half a century could offer produce growers and meat and dairy producers the opportunity to distribute products more cost-effectively. TransCold Express will operate on BNSF Railway, with cargo being transferred from truck to boxcar through a new refrigerated building operated by National Logistics and Cold Storage (NLCS).

TransCold Express will haul products such as vegetables, fruit, cheese and butter from California to the Midwest and carry meat, eggs, cheese, butter, finished goods and dairy creamers westbound. The service takes four days to reach the Midwest from California - the same speed as by truck, but at a significantly lower cost. Depending on the circumstances, a shipper could save between five and 15 percent by using the boxcar service versus trucking. TransCold Express also claims to be a more environmentally friendly method of transport, as one boxcar holds the same volume as four trucks.

NLCS and McKay TransCold selected the RidgePort Logistics Center for because customers will have expanded transportation and occupancy opportunities in the future as more of the acreage is developed. For more information, visit the RidgePort website at ridgeportlogisticscenter.com.